Hydrocarbon-burner



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. STEVENS.

HYDROCARBON BURNER. No. 394.517. Patented Dec. 11, `1888.

(No Mode.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. STEVENS.

- HYDROGARBON BURNER.

No. 394,5 17. Patenta-d Dec. 11, 1888.

Hill

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI STEVENS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HYDROCARB'ON-BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. .394,517, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed October 29, 1887. Serial No. 253,'741. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI STEVENS, of Boston, in' the county 'of Suttolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ilydrocarbonurners; and I do hereby declare that the fol'- lowing is a full and exact description thereot, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view ot' my improved hydrocarbon-burner; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same; and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a vertical-fine boiler having its lower portion broken away to illustrate the use of the burner in connection therewith.

This invention relates to a hydrocarbonburner in which the oil is vaporized, and the vapors, mixed with superheated steam and air at a temperature of about (300 Fahrenheit, are delivered through the nozzle of a burner to be thereat ignited.

The object of my invention is to provide a more compact and eflicient device for burning the vapor of crude petroleum commingled *with superheated steam than those heretofore employed for the purpose, and wherein all the constituents of the oil shall be vaporized and consumed, so as to obviate thereby not only the difficulties and disadvantages which have heretofore attended the burning of heavy hydrocarbon oils by reason of the deposit of the asphalt and other heavy products ot' the oil in the chanbers, tubes, or nozzles ot' the burners, but also to obtain a complete combustion thereof, and consequently a much higher temperature or percentage of heat from the oil.

It consists in a novel construction and arrangenent of the several parts ot' the burner, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed, whereby the stean admitted to the device is superhea ted in a retort exposed directly-to the jets of fiame issuing 'from the nozzles of the burner, and is thereafter carried through a co'nduit leading through an oil-receptacle into a chamber beneath said receptacle, so as to produce a vaporization of the oil, and is finally discharged through tubes passing through the oil-receptacle into nozzles communicating therewith, whereby the vapor ot' the oil, commingled with a supply ot' air ad mitted under the nozzles and with the superheated steam to 'form an intlanmable gas, is delivered through the nozzles for conbustlon.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a circular plate constituting the base of my improved burner; '13,21 circular cap-plate or casing ot' preferably the same diameter as the base, and which is provided at its lower edge with a radial flange,1'referab1y made to project inward, whereby it may be bolted to the base to form a steam-tight joint therewith. \Vhen thus Secured, the casing incloses a circnlar steam-chamber, above the base A. The upper surface of the casing B is conical or inwardly inclined from its circumference to its center, as shown in Fig. 1, and is forned with a comparatively large central opening, D, which is internally threaded. A second circular cap-plate or casing, E, is fitted with a tight joint upon the rim of the casing B, so as to leave an open space or oilchamber, F, between them. The top ot' this casing E is nade conical or inwardly inclined toward the center at an angle corresponding with that of the top of the casing B, so that the two opposing sui-faces shall be parallel, and it is likewise centrally pierced with an opening, ('r, slightly larger in diameter than the threaded opening D in the casing I.

A cylindrical vessel or retort, I-I, preferably enlarged or pear-slaped at its upper closed end and ot' a diameter at its lower open end corresponding with that ot' the apertnre D in the lower casing-plate B, is inserted through the aperture G in the casing-plate E and screwed at its lower open end into the threaded aperture D. This central retort, H, is provided with an annular flange, I, encirclingit in such manner as that when its lower end is screwed to the casing B said fiange shall bear upon the margin of the casingplate E about its cen tra-l opening, and a washer, nz ot' asbestus or other fire-proof paeking, is inserted under the fiange to make the joint tight and st eam-proof. The retort ll thus forms in efl'eet an upward central extension of the lower stean-chamber, (i. A series of small openings, I; IL', are pierced concentrically in the top of the casing B near to its outer edge. A similar series of larger openings, Z I, are

IOO

pierced in the top of' the casingEin such manner as that the corresponding openings k and Z in the two plates shall have a common axis, (see dotted lines in 2,) said axis being so inclined by reason of the inclination of the' plates as to intersect the central retort, H, somewhat below the top thereof. A small nipple, N, having a slight cylindrical bore is screwed into each of the apertures k in the' A cylindrical casing, S, of sheetmetal is fitted upon the rin of the upper plate, E, to project therefrcm to a level above the nozzles P P. A series of air-holes, T T T, are preferably pierced in the wall of the casing E, close under the top thereof, whereby a supply of air is admitted directly to the nozzles P P.

The oil-snpply pipe V, for feeding the burner, is connected directly with the chamber F, and the steam-supply pipe W is passed through the base of the device with a threaded joint, so as to project up into the central retort, H, nearly to the top thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.

structed in a rectangular or other form instead of being made circular, as described, and that the upper surfaces of the two chambers C F may be fiat instead of inwardly inclined, it being,` however, desirable that the nipples and nozzles shall incline toward the central retort, so as to cause the fiame issuing fron the nozzles to impinge thereon or to come into close proximity thereto; also, that the manner of nniting the several parts and of forming the chambers may be varied, the chanbers C and F admitting of being formed in one casting. It is preferable, however, to make the several parts separable, as described, to facilitate cleaning or renewing the same, and the circular form has also been found the most practeal for general use. v

To maintain automatically the relative proportions of the steam and oil admitted to the burner which may be desi'able under any gven conditions, I combine with the stea insupply pipe XV a chamber, 10, divided into two conpartments by a flexible stean-proof diaphragm, .11, of steel, rubber, or other suitable material. One of the compartments in the chamber connunicates freely with the steam-pipe and the other is open to the air. The diaphragm 11 is connected by means of a rod, 13, with the stem or lever of a valve, 12, of any suitable description, controlling the oilsupply pipe V. Said rod 13 is attached to the center of the diaphragm, and, passing through of steam against its inner side it will-operate to open the valve, and will close 'it when moved inwardly. The diaphragm-rod 13 is slotted or provided with a lateral pin. or an offset, as at 17, to furnish a bearing for a lever, 14:, pivoted at one end to a suitable support, 15, and fitted at its free end beyond the diaphragm-rod with a sliding weight, 16, whereby a determinate pressure may be applied to the diaphragn to counterbalance the steam-pressure and thereby determine the point at which the pressure shall operate to open the oil-valve 12.

In the operation of this regulating device, when the steam-pressure, and, consequently, the Volume of steam delivered into the retort H, increases the pressure onto the diaphragm 11, it will open the oil-valve 12 more widely, and thus permit an increased flow of oil to the burner proportionate to the increase in the 'steam-supply, and, vice versa, as the steampressure diininishes and permits inWard movement of the diaphragm, the oil-valve is correspondingly closed and the oil-supply dilninished, the relative proportion of steam and oil being primarily adjusted by an adjustment of the oil-valve With reference to the position of the diaphragn and changed as required by j means of the sliding weight 10, which governs It s evident that the device may be conthe pressure at which the diaphragn is permitted to move to influence the valve.

` In the use of the burner it is preferred to heat it at the start by pouring a small quantity of oil into the central depression encircling IOO the vessel H on the top of the casing E and i firing the same. Steam being now admitted from the pipe XV' and oil from the pipe V, the steain will be superheated in the retort H, and, passing down thence to the steam-chamber C, Will issue therefrom in fine j ets through the nipples N N and be forcibly discharged into the nozzles P P, thereby creating a partial vacuum in the oil-chamber F. This chamber F will at the same time become heated to a high temperature by radiation from the casing B of the stean-chanber C and from the covering-plate E. The oil flowing into the hot chamberF Will be vaporized therein, and the vapor will be drawn up and earried by the j ets of steam into the nozzles P P, and, commingling therein with the stean and with a supply of air simultaneously drawn in through the apertures T T, will form a highlycombustible compound, which, being ignitejd at the nozzles, will produce an intense flame. The jets of fiame issuing from the several nozzles P P are made to converge upon the central superheated retort, and are deflected thence in a crown of fire above the casing, creating an intense heat, which may however, be regnlated at will by regulating the supply of oil and steam. s

The deposit of tar or of any other of the heavier products of the oil which would under ordinary conditions occur in the chamber F, and which would operate to clog and choke the same and in a short time render IIO the but-ner inoperative, is prevented by the admission into said chanher of one or more 'jete of superheated stea-m directly from the retort through the apertures R R.

I do not claim as new a device for superheating Steam within a retort heated by the fiane of a hydrocarbon-burner to which the steam from the retort is adnitted, and I am aware that hydrocarbon-burners have heretofore been constructed in which an oil-chamber is forned over a stean-chamber and the stean is delivered into nozzles in the top of the oil chanber through tubes extending through the same from the steam-chanber.

My invention is novel in that it involves a combination, with superinposed oil and steam chanbers, of a central retort carried up from the steam-chanber through the oil-chanher and outwardly far enough to be acted upon by the flames froni the burners fitted in the top of the latter, and ot' a steam-supply pipe earried up within said retort nea'ly to the top thereof, thereby producing a circulation of stean from the top of the retort downward into the stean-chamber underlying the oilehanber, wher'eby the latter is heated to a point at which the oil admitted thereto Will be vaporized in readiness for admixture with the steam in the nozzles.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combinaton, in a hydroearbonburner, of a steam-ehanher, a superimposed oil-chamber, a central superheatng-retort extending above the oil-chamber and communicating freely with the steam-chamber, flamenozzles fitted in the outer easing of the oilchamber, each at an angle adapted to Carry the fiame therefron into close proxinity to said retort, discharge-nipples projeeting from the steam-chainber into the flame-nozzles and a steam-supply pipe carried within the Superheating-retort nearly to the top thereof, all substantially in the manner and 'for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a hydrocarbonburner, of a steaimchamber, a Superimposed oil-chaniber, a central Superheating-retort extending above the oil-chamber and communicating freely with the stean-chamber, and through one or more small apcrtures withthe oil-ehamber, flame-nozzles fitted in the outer casing of the oil-chanber, each at an angle' adapted to Carry the fiame therefrom into close proxinity to said retort, diseharge-nipples projeeting from the steam-chanber into the fiame-nozzles, a stean-supply pipe carried within the Superheating-retort nearly to the top thereof, and porte for supplying air to the fiane nozzles, all Substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein Set forth.

In testinony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI STEVENS.

\"itnessesz A. N. JESBERA, E. M. WATsoN. 

